Multiple Vessels Report GPS Disruption in Strait of Hormuz

 

The Royal Navy's maritime security reporting arm has received multiple reports of GPS jamming in the Strait of Hormuz, a periodic hotspot for interference. Though not as frequent as it is in the Baltic, GPS disruption has occurred in the Strait before, and have previously been linked to Iranian actors. 

The service's UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) office announced Monday that it has received reports from several vessels that have encountered GPS interference in the Strait of Hormuz. The disruptions lasted several hours, affected navigation systems, and required vessels to rely on traditional methods of navigation. 

"Masters who experience disruption to electronic navigation systems (GPS / AIS / other PNT) anywhere within the UKMTO Voluntary Reporting Area (VRA) are requested to contact UKMTO watchkeepers," the office said in a statement. 

In August 2019, amidst heightened regional tensions, the U.S. Maritime Administration warned that vessels could encounter "GPS interference, bridge-to-bridge communications spoofing, and/or other communications jamming with little to no warning." At the time, the agency also warned of VHF comms "falsely claiming to be US or coalition warships."

The 2019 jamming incident was linked to Iranian electronic warfare outposts on Abu Musa Island, located at the eastern entrance to the strait, a defense source told CNN.